Examples of the second.

He was a tall and very spare old man: his head, which was covered with a white linen cap, his shrivelled hands, and his voice, were all shaken under the influence of a palsy; and a few moments ascertained to me, that he was perfectly blind.

All sentences, whether simple or compound, are comprehended in three classes: the declarative, the interrogative, and the exclamatory.

I. DECLARATIVE sentences state or declare something affirmatively or negatively, in some relation to time past, present, or future; as true or false; absolute or conditional; possible or impossible; certain or contingent; &c. &c.

II. INTERROGATIVE sentences are such as contain questions. III. EXCLAMATORY sentences are such as express emotion or passion.

EXPLANATION OF THE SIGNS EMPLOYED IN PART SECOND.

1. At a period (.) which I call perfect close, the voice falls to the key or below it.

2. The acute accent (') which I call the bend, denotes that the voice turns slightly upward. E. g. Fire of imagination', strength of mind', and firmness of soul', are gifts of nature.

3. The grave accent (`) which I call partial close, as being preparatory to the perfect, denotes that the voice falls as at a period, though not quite so low. E. g. I speak as unto wise men': judge ye what I say. History, as it has been written, is the genealogy of princes': the field-book of conquerors.

4. When the acute and grave accent, or the bend and partial close, appear together, (") the voice may turn upward, as in No. 2, or fall, as in No. 3. Generally, however, the former should be preferred.

5. The common interrogation point (?) or upward slide, denctes that the voice should gradually ascend to the close. E. g Will you ride to town to-day?

OBS. This sign follows definite interrogative sentences, hereafter to be described, and the statement, just made, applies to the simple definite and to the compound close and compact definite, unless they are unusually long; when the ascent of the voice is confined to the beginning and the end: the middle being delivered in a level tone. Compound loose definite questions have each of their parts delivered with an ascending voice: each successively beginning at a slightly more elevated tone E. g. Is his mercy clean gone forever? and will he be favorable no more?

6. The common interrogation point reversed (f) or downward slide, denotes that the voice should gradually descend to the close. E. g. When will you ride to town!

OBS. 1. This sign follows indefinite interrogative sentences, to be described here after; and the statement made applies to simple and compound close and compact

indefirite, unless unusually long; when the descent of the voice is confined to the beginning and the end: the middle being delivered in a level tone. Compound loose indefinite questions have each of their parts delivered with a descending voice: each successively beginning at a slightly lower tone. E. g. What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols!

OBS. 2. The delivery of indefinite interrogatives, when they occur parenthetically, is somewhat modified. The voice instead of proceeding downward to the close, is arrested and turned back to the common level of the sentence. E.g. I wished (why should I deny it §) that it had been my case instead of my sister's.

7. The common interrogation point reversed and crossed (f) or waving slide, denotes that the voice has a waving movement in the delivery of the question: a movement which may be represented to the eye by the following figure,

and may be observed in reading the following sentence: Then you knew the history of the young man

OBS. This sign follows indirect interrogative sentences; and the statement applies to the simple and compound close and compact. Each of the parts of a compound loose is delivered with this waving movement. A series of such questions, with or without intermediate answers, sometimes has this delivery modified: all the questions, after the first, being delivered, as if they were not interrogative, but declarative sentences.

8. A combination of the direct and reversed interrogation point () or double slide, denotes that the first part of the sentence ending at the disjunctive conjunction or, must be read with the voice gradually ascending, as in number 5, and the second part beginning with the conjunction or, with the voice gradually descending to the close, as in number 6. E.g. Will you ride to town to-day, or to-morrow!

OBS. 1. This sign follows the double interrogative.

OBS 2. This and the preceding signs, excepting the period and the common interrogation, are used in Part Second only; and in Part Second they are but partially applied to exclamatory sentences.

THE EFFECTS OF EMPHASIS BRIEFLY DESCRIBED.

I. The full and proper effect of emphasis is a waving movement precisely like that described in number 7, above. E. . g. I am surprised at that, [where I come from, &c.] The good man loves himself too well to lose an estate by gaming, and his neighbor too well to win one.

II. That portion of this movement which precedes the emphatic word, or the accented syllable of the emphatic word, I call the upper sweep; and that portion which follows the emphatic word, or the accented syllable of the emphatic word, I call the lower sweep.

III. The extent to which these sweeps are formed, depends on the distance of the emphatic word from the pause before and the pause after it. The upper sweep can be formed or developed only on so much of the sentence as lies between the accented syllable of the emphatic word and the preceding pause the lower on so much as lies between the accented

syllable of the emphatic word and the succeeding pause. Hence,

1. If the emphatic word with the accent on the first syllable, is at the beginning of a sentence, the upper sweep is cut off, and the lower only is developed : e. g. Other misfortunes may be borne or their effects overcome.

2. If the emphatic word is at the end of a clause or part of a sentence ending with a comma, the lower sweep is cut off, or formed only on so much of the word as follows the accented syllable: e. g. Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

OBS. When the emphatic word, immediately before a pause, is followed by a short circumstance, the lower sweep is formed on that circumstance, notwithstanding the pause, e. g. But youth, Sir, is not my only crime. Wait, gushing life, oh, wait my love's return. (See another exception, " Elements of R. and O.," p. 115.)

3. If the emphatic word is immediately preceded and followed by a comma expressed or understood, both the upper and lower sweep is confined to that word: e. g. I am punished; but he, he, is permitted to escape. Still, it may be well to remember, &c. Nothing could have been farther from my thoughts than that I should be compelled again to throw myself on the indulgence of the senate. Necessity is the mother of invention.

OBS. The comma is always understood after a subject under emphasis at the beginning of a sentence with nothing between it and the verb. (See "Elements of Reading and Oratory," comma.) It is generally understood before and after circumstances consisting of a single word. (See Circumstance.)

IV. When emphasis falls on the last word of a sentence, or of a part of a loose sentence, (see compound sentences, definition, and examples of a loose sentence,) its effect is merely to render the fall of the voice, if any thing, more energetic: e. g. Nor is he willing to stop there. Delicacy leans more to feeling': correctness more to reason and judgment.

V. When emphasis falls on a word near the end of a sentence, or of a part of a loose sentence; or if, for any reason, it is unusually strong, falling elsewhere, it converts the lower sweep into a downward slide to the end: e. g. Force decided all things. In this respect, sir, I have a great advantage over the honorable gentleman. It is not true that he played the traitor to his country in the hour of her peril.

VI. When emphasis is placed on any word in a definite interrogative sentence, it causes simply a dip or indentation in the general direction of the voice: e. g. Will you ride to town

to-day?

VII. When emphasis is placed on any word in an indefinite interrogative sentence, it defers the descent, or slide lownward, of the voice until that word is reached: e.g. When

unll

you ride to town! will you ride to town!

When will you ride to town! When

VIII. Emphasis on any word in an indirect interrogative sentence, is preceded by the upper and followed by the lower sweep; producing the waving movement or slide already described above, (see explanation of signs, 7:) e. g. You will ride to town to-day! You will ride to town to-day! You will ride to town to-day! You will ride to town to-day! You will ride to town to-day!

IX. The effect of emphasis on any word in the first part of a double interrogative sentence, is the same as that on any word of a definite interrogative; (see Vl. ;) and the effect on any word in the second part, is the same as that on any word of an indefinite interrogative; (see VII. ;) e. g. Will you ride to town to-day, or to-morrow! Will you ride to town, or will you walk!

OBS. Punctuation and emphasis are so closely connected, and the dependence of the latter on the former for its effects, is so uniform, that to teach them with the greatest judgment and success, a more general and thorough knowledge of their nature and laws should be possessed, than the instructor can obtain from the preceding rules; which comprise as much information on these subjects, as the limits of the present work and the attainments of the youth for whom it is intended, justify me in giving. I therefore refer those who would understand these subjects thoroughly, to the "Elements of Reading and Oratory," where they are fully discussed.

SECTION I-SIMPLE SENTENCES.

CLASS I.SIMPLE DECLARATIVE SENTENCES.

Examples for Exercise.

Jesus wept. Rejoice evermore. Birds fly. Remember Lot's wife. It was the general. All were hushed. Pray without ceasing. It is not ten years ago. The national independence had been won. Let love be without dissimulation. Be of the same mind one toward another. Let every one be subject to the higher powers. Let every one please his neighbor for his good to edification. Ye are the light of the world. I was never there in my life. I have told you the truth. I heard their drowning cry, mingling with the wind. He was distinguished by modesty. That garment is not well made. Be not forward in the presence of your superiors.

Virtue is the condition of happiness. Ignorance is the mother of error. One ounce of gold' is worth fifteen ounces of silver. To listen to the voice of reason is always safe. The distruction of his fortune was the consequence of his temerity. The whole course of his life has been distinguished by generous actions. The study of mathematics is an excel

lent discipline of the mind. Sensitiveness to the approbation d virtuous men, is laudable.

Of neither of these persuasives' have the effects been great, At the bottom of the garden' ran a little rivulet. With his conduct last evening I was not pleased. The pursuit of that affair' I will defer no longer. That interesting history' he did not read. To the perusal of.the authors of the second class I shall now proceed. To the ancients fire-arms were unknown. That he is a great man you cannot deny. After a denial of the charge he withdrew in dignified displeasure to his own house. To pray well is the better half of study. Over these matchless talents probity threw her brightest lustre. To the fate of the government is united the fate of the country. But on this part of the subject I need not enlarge. For successive infractions of the law these punishments may be increased up to a certain limit. Of a new truth then flashed on his mind the first gleams.

Sometimes a distant sail, gliding along the edge of the horizon', would be a theme of idle speculation. These debts, contracted during his former dissipated course of life', he was unable to discharge. The excessive labor, undergone in preparing for his examination', occasioned a dangerous illness. To her, many a soldier, on the point of accomplishing his ambition', sacrifices the opportunity. Vanity, of all the passions, is the most unsocial. I cannot part with you, fellow-citizens, without urging the long remembrance of our present assembly. He ought, therefore, to take the greatest care of the fortune still in his possession. And there was, a great way off, a herd of swine, feeding. The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

To

You may be assured, gentlemen', of my continued regard. You live, my friends', in an extraordinary age. It is too late, now', to make a fresh distribution of the honors, awarded by their cotemporaries to the worthies of the Revolution. all, in truth, the same lesson comes. Suddenly, the sound of the signal-gun broke the stillness of the night. We will endeavor to refute, now, his third argument. To a great extent, the same is true of literary pursuits. But every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Besides, sir, we have no election. He may not accept the invitation without the permission of his parents. An orator may often, by this kind of style, gain great admiration, without being nearer to his proper end.